Ken Kurtis
Contributor
Well, let's hope this WASN'T a preview of a Dodgers/Yankees World Series . . .
SOME GOOD LOCAL DIVING - Michael Francisco was out at Vets Park/Redondo Sunday and says there was decent viz, 20-25', down at depth but there was also a thermocline there of about 57º. Warmer water above 40' but also less viz, maybe around 10' or so. And a couple of people posted that they had good dives out at the UW Park this weekend as well. Speaking of which . . .
FLIPPED WEEKENDS - Just another reminder that our next UW Park day trip will be on September 21, not the 14th, due to a schedule conflict for me. However, we will offer the Beach Diving class/experience on the 14th and that'll be at Vets. Call 310/652-4990 to sign up for either or both.
IMPORTANT RECALL NOTICE IF YOU HAVE AN ATOMIC REG - This probably doesn't affect a lot of you but we want to get the word out. If you have an Atomic reg with a low-pressure hose swivel on it - by the second stage - this may affect you whether the swivel came this way from the factory or if you had it done post-purchase. Look at the hose crimp right below the swivel and look for a date stamp in the crimp that reads "D0717." If that's on your hose, it's one of the affected ones. (If it's something else, this doesn't apply to you.) If you have any questions, call repair guru Robert Stark at 310/947-8523. If you're not sure, you can also e-mail him a picture of the crimp or just bring your reg on by. Atomic has apparently already sent out some repair kits to affected customers but the repair should still be done by a trained technician. (It's free BTW.) If your Atomic reg does NOT have a second stage swivel, then this doesn't affect you. But if it does, check it ASAP for the "D0717" code. if yours is an affected hose and you've not yet received a recall kit, here's what they'd like you to do: "Please contact our service team at (888) 270-8595 ext. 4, or via email at AALPHose@huishoutdoors.com for a Return Authorization number and instructions. The defective hoses should be returned to Huish Outdoors. DO NOT DESTROY THE HOSE!"
KEEPING AN EYE ON DORIAN - It's a tropical storm right now but Dorian is projected to become a hurricane in the Atlantic in the next few days. The current projected path has it kissing the south end of Puerto Rico, slamming directly into the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and then dancing through the islands of the Bahamas. Like these places need more misery from storms. You can track it through this link to the National Hurricane Center:TRACKING DORIAN.
JUST WHAT WE NEED: MORE TRASH IN THE OCEAN - Many of you have likely heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, are area of water (actually a gyre) that lies between here and Hawaii, about the size of Texas, where literally tons of micro-plastics are trapped and circulating. Well, now the Pacific's Atlantic cousin has been discovered. Greenpeace researchers located it within the Sargasso Sea, which lies off of the East Coast of the US, with the Gulf Stream providing a barrier between the Sea and land. It's another indication of how trash in the ocean is really becoming a huge problem. You can read more about it here in a very good article from CNN: ATLANTIC GARBAGE PATCH.
FASTER-GROWING CORALS - On a brighter note, scientists at the Florida Aquarium think they may have discovered a way to make corals grow faster, and that in turn might lead to a better way to repopulate reefs that are being affected by climate change and pollution: GROWING CORALS.
LABOR DAY WEEKEND APPROACHES - Don't forget that it's this coming weekend.
ENDING ON A SAD NOTE WITH TWO DEATHS TO REPORT - Neither was a diving accident but both were part of the Reef Seekers family . . .
TIM MEANS HAS DIED - If you did any of our Baja trips on the Don Jose with Baja Expeditions, you likely met Tim as he was the owner. Tim died on August 13, likely from complications due to diabetes. There's a really nice obituary of him that ran in the New York Times which highlights his innovations in Baja eco-tourism: TIM MEANS. And . . .
R.I.P. MICHAEL GALLAGHER - Michael dove with us for many years and also served as crew member and occasional chef on the Great Escape. About a year or so ago, he had taken a job with Sea Shepherd which he was really passionate about. Michael died suddenly on August 15 of unspecified causes. You can go to his Facebook page to leave a condolence note for his family.
And that'll do it for now. Sorry to end on such a down note but sometimes life doesn't always work out the way we'd like it to.
- Ken
SOME GOOD LOCAL DIVING - Michael Francisco was out at Vets Park/Redondo Sunday and says there was decent viz, 20-25', down at depth but there was also a thermocline there of about 57º. Warmer water above 40' but also less viz, maybe around 10' or so. And a couple of people posted that they had good dives out at the UW Park this weekend as well. Speaking of which . . .
FLIPPED WEEKENDS - Just another reminder that our next UW Park day trip will be on September 21, not the 14th, due to a schedule conflict for me. However, we will offer the Beach Diving class/experience on the 14th and that'll be at Vets. Call 310/652-4990 to sign up for either or both.
IMPORTANT RECALL NOTICE IF YOU HAVE AN ATOMIC REG - This probably doesn't affect a lot of you but we want to get the word out. If you have an Atomic reg with a low-pressure hose swivel on it - by the second stage - this may affect you whether the swivel came this way from the factory or if you had it done post-purchase. Look at the hose crimp right below the swivel and look for a date stamp in the crimp that reads "D0717." If that's on your hose, it's one of the affected ones. (If it's something else, this doesn't apply to you.) If you have any questions, call repair guru Robert Stark at 310/947-8523. If you're not sure, you can also e-mail him a picture of the crimp or just bring your reg on by. Atomic has apparently already sent out some repair kits to affected customers but the repair should still be done by a trained technician. (It's free BTW.) If your Atomic reg does NOT have a second stage swivel, then this doesn't affect you. But if it does, check it ASAP for the "D0717" code. if yours is an affected hose and you've not yet received a recall kit, here's what they'd like you to do: "Please contact our service team at (888) 270-8595 ext. 4, or via email at AALPHose@huishoutdoors.com for a Return Authorization number and instructions. The defective hoses should be returned to Huish Outdoors. DO NOT DESTROY THE HOSE!"
KEEPING AN EYE ON DORIAN - It's a tropical storm right now but Dorian is projected to become a hurricane in the Atlantic in the next few days. The current projected path has it kissing the south end of Puerto Rico, slamming directly into the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and then dancing through the islands of the Bahamas. Like these places need more misery from storms. You can track it through this link to the National Hurricane Center:TRACKING DORIAN.
JUST WHAT WE NEED: MORE TRASH IN THE OCEAN - Many of you have likely heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, are area of water (actually a gyre) that lies between here and Hawaii, about the size of Texas, where literally tons of micro-plastics are trapped and circulating. Well, now the Pacific's Atlantic cousin has been discovered. Greenpeace researchers located it within the Sargasso Sea, which lies off of the East Coast of the US, with the Gulf Stream providing a barrier between the Sea and land. It's another indication of how trash in the ocean is really becoming a huge problem. You can read more about it here in a very good article from CNN: ATLANTIC GARBAGE PATCH.
FASTER-GROWING CORALS - On a brighter note, scientists at the Florida Aquarium think they may have discovered a way to make corals grow faster, and that in turn might lead to a better way to repopulate reefs that are being affected by climate change and pollution: GROWING CORALS.
LABOR DAY WEEKEND APPROACHES - Don't forget that it's this coming weekend.
ENDING ON A SAD NOTE WITH TWO DEATHS TO REPORT - Neither was a diving accident but both were part of the Reef Seekers family . . .
TIM MEANS HAS DIED - If you did any of our Baja trips on the Don Jose with Baja Expeditions, you likely met Tim as he was the owner. Tim died on August 13, likely from complications due to diabetes. There's a really nice obituary of him that ran in the New York Times which highlights his innovations in Baja eco-tourism: TIM MEANS. And . . .
R.I.P. MICHAEL GALLAGHER - Michael dove with us for many years and also served as crew member and occasional chef on the Great Escape. About a year or so ago, he had taken a job with Sea Shepherd which he was really passionate about. Michael died suddenly on August 15 of unspecified causes. You can go to his Facebook page to leave a condolence note for his family.
And that'll do it for now. Sorry to end on such a down note but sometimes life doesn't always work out the way we'd like it to.
- Ken
